MUSCAT: Minister of Labour and Chairman of the National Committee for Combating Human Trafficking HE Dr Ali bin Smaikh Al Marri, affirmed that Qatar is making continuous and growing efforts to combat human trafficking crimes, starting from a commitment to Islamic Sharia laws that prohibit all forms of human degradation.
The Minister of Labour is leading the delegation of Qatar participating in the fifth session of the Government Forum to Combat Trafficking in Persons in the Middle East, held from April 17-18 in the Sultanate of Oman.
The fifth session of the forum, held under the theme "Combating Human Trafficking through Labour Legislation and Procedures," was attended by ministers and heads of relevant agencies from the Gulf Cooperation Council states, the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, the Arab Republic of Egypt, the United States, the United Kingdom, and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime.
During his speech in the opening session, he highlighted that the National Committee for Combating Human Trafficking in Qatar works on coordinating various agencies to monitor, prevent, and combat human trafficking, in addition to training efforts and capacity building of national cadres and law enforcement officials.
He noted that the Ministry of Labour has implemented many initiatives to raise community awareness and activate the role of labour inspection by providing them with trafficking indicators to monitor cases and enhance community awareness of regulatory, legal, and procedural aspects, thereby safeguarding human dignity and protecting rights.
The Minister explained that the legislative updates in the work environment in recent years have considered combating all practices associated with human trafficking, whether it involves forced labour or any practices that may entail such exploitation, both within the state and in labour-exporting countries.
Dr Al Marri emphasized that the phenomenon of human trafficking has become a global issue posing a threat to all societies and representing a significant challenge to the will of the international community. He pointed to the need for international efforts to be combined to combat this phenomenon through enhancing the mechanism of consultation and cooperation based on unified action among states and all parties concerned with combating it in the Middle East region.
He also stated that Qatar has strengthened the framework of international cooperation in facing common challenges by supporting the United Nations plan to combat human trafficking since its launch.
The forum addresses topics related to forms of human trafficking in the work environment, alongside reviewing some experiences in the Middle East regarding combating human trafficking issues and attempting to reduce them. The forum also features participation from a group of international and regional experts specialized in combating human trafficking, as well as representatives from committees concerned with combating human trafficking in member states of the permanent secretariat of the Government Forum to Combat Trafficking in Persons in the Middle East.
